Protesting Sikhs push into Pakistan parliament

People from Pakistani Sikh community rally in the compound of the parliament in Islamabad, Pakistan. Dozens of baton-wielding Sikhs pushed past the front gate and entered the grounds of Pakistan's parliament, protesting recent attacks on their houses of worship. Banner reads "Arrest the desecrators." (AP Photo)

Police in Pakistan say dozens of baton-holding Sikhs have pushed past the front gate and entered the grounds of parliament, protesting recent attacks on their houses of worship.

Senior police officer Aftab Cheema said Friday's protest saw Sikhs briefly stage a sit-in on parliament's lawns. Cheema says police negotiated with the Sikh protesters in an attempt to get them to leave the grounds of parliament peacefully. He said investigators would look into how protesters made it past the gate.

Cheema says Sikh leaders are protesting against several attacks on their worship places in the southern Sindh province. Sikhs are a tiny minority in predominantly Muslim Pakistan. Most of them live in Sindh province.